More than 520,000 people turned out at an Istanbul rally on Thursday to raise awareness to plight of Palestinians in Gaza and Israel’s genocide.
The massive turnout in cold weather and on New Year’s Day was another sign of Türkiye’s unwavering support for Palestinians. Indeed, this was the third such rally held every New Year’s Day since 2024. Türkiye is the fiercest critic of Israel’s genocide in the Palestinian territories and cut off ties with Tel Aviv after the conflict began. Since 2023, people of diverse political affiliations have staged rallies across the country to protest Israel.
İbrahim Beşinci, head of Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), one of major civil society groups contributing to National Will Platform that organized Thursday’s rally, hailed participants representing “a honorable nation standing against genocide.” “Prayers of the oppressed, legacy of martyrs are with us today,” he told the crowd waving Turkish and Palestinian flags.
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